I expect nor are Road and Track.

 

I'd like to know the difference too! I have seen someone from Germany post, "The F20C2 engine which is considerably better in the low rpm's than the F20C1...".

I wonder if he's just confused and it's not the fact his engine is actually better at low RPM, but rather just that his gearing is better. I know Europe got the updated gearing changes (that came to the US with the 2004 models along with that hokey F22C) applied to the F20Cs in 2004 I believe.

 

I have to agree with the previous remark from Germany. I drove both the F20C1 (MY03 from Germany) and 2 F20C2's (MY04 and MY05) and IMO the F20C2 is noticably better in the low rpm's.

Even when both car's are at the same very low rpm, the C2 will pull harder IMO. It could have something to do with the gearing, but the C2 is the second evolution (revision) version of the F20C also, so I think they changed things on the engine and engine computer too, otherwise it would not be called the C2 I guess.

 

I am willing to bet that what you are feeling is mostly (if not fully) due the gearing change that the '04 (and beyond) models rec'd. People here in the States were changing their rear end gear to get this effect (at the sacrifice of making their upper gears geared even lower) and their comments seem to parallel what you are saying. That being said, it would still be nice to know what is different between a C1 and C2 engine. I suspect it could be a few tweaks that were made to the F20C that previously couldn't be made when the engine was also being used in the States.

I will say that here in the States people have said that '02/'03 pull slightly harder than '00/'01 models, but that's being attributed to the new engine computer (since the engines are all C1s).

 

I had USDM car(mine) and friend's german spec car side to side.

USA spec had F20C1 while german had F20C2.

Geman also gets 250hp w/CR 11.3:1 which is same engine as JDM engine.
No wonder F20C2 feels stronger than F20C1.

 

@STL : You probably will be right about the gearing, I do not know for sure what the difference is between the old (pre MY04) and new gearing. But it certainly will do something! As for the changes to the engine, I would love to know too what they changed. They will not call it C2 if it has no real changes i guess...

But, whatever it is, I am very happy with the power and response of the S2000 in the lower revs. Having driven the Z4 3.0 and the Boxster S, I presume there is not much difference in it. In a car magazine test between the S2000 and the Z4 3.0 they were equally fast in the torque tests (times to get from x mph to y mph at different speeds in the low revs in different gears).

 

I know this is an old post, but I was looking around for differences on F20C1 and F20C2. My car is import from Germany to Norway, and have the F20C2. Does that mean my car has 250hp?

 

cmn Posted on Mar 7 2007, 12:39 AM
My S2000 was also imported from Germany.
Imported into the Netherlands.
In the German manual its stated at the Technische Daten, page 277, that the compression ration is 11.0 : 1
In the manual they don't mention horsepower or top speed.
They do however mention that the F20C1 (so I guess it is sold in Europe somewhere?) needs super unleaded with minimum of 95 RON and the F20C2 needs super unleaded with a minimum of 98 RON.
The label inside the gas cap cover of my car states it needs RON 98.

 

I think the EDM ones had 11.3:1 CR and the JDM ones had 11.7:1 CR (VGS model?)

I remember seeing it on one of my JDM catalogues. As far as nomenclature dunno if the EDM ones were C2